With Punjab in financial mess, AAP govt. on completing half of it’s term goes back on poll promises
Listen to this articleWith Punjab in financial mess, AAP govt. on completing half of it’s term goes back on poll promises
Umesh Dewan
Chandigarh, September 9
With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) model of governance failing miserably, leaving Punjab in a complete “financial mess”, the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has now started taking complete ‘u-turns’ as well from its pre-poll promises made before the 2022 state assembly elections. A few days back, the AAP government increased the Value Added Tax (VAT)on petrol and diesel thereby breaking the party’s one of the ten pre-poll promises of not increasing any existing taxes after coming to power. Not just a hike in VAT on fuel but the cash-strapped AAP government, which is even finding it difficult to pay the salaries to its employees, also announced a partial roll back of the power subsidy being given to domestic consumers and a hike in the bus fare.
It is pertinent to mention here that before the Punjab assembly elections 2022 while promising to make Punjab’s cities number one, AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had categorically announced that if elected to power, AAP Government would provide 24×7 uninterrupted power besides ensuring round the clock water supply, no imposition of new taxes and no hike in existing taxes. He had also claimed that the entire state would be covered with a CCTV network for women’s safety besides taking decisive action against senior Akali Dal leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia for his alleged involvement in a drugs case.
However, contrary to its promises, on September 5, the AAP government increased the VAT on diesel by 0.92 paise per litre and that of petrol will increase by 0.61 paise per litre, withdrew Rs 3 per unit subsidy — including surcharge and electricity duty — on power for domestic consumers having up to 7 kW of load besides abolishing the subsidy being given to power consumers having a load of more than 7 KW. Speaking to the media, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema clarified the Cabinet had done away with dual subsidy, and that all domestic consumers would continue to get the 300 units of free power every month. Before this, to improve the ever-worsening fiscal situation, the AAP government had increased the motor vehicle tax on two-wheelers and four-wheelers and also hiked the collector rate for property registration.
Though the state government claimed that all these steps have been taken to increase the state revenue, the decisions have not gone down well with the masses. “The government is befooling the people by stating that it has abolished the dual subsidy. The domestic power consumers were not at all getting any kind of dual subsidy. The government is giving 600 units of free power to domestic consumers for two months. In case the bill exceeds 600 units, the consumer is supposed to pay the entire electricity bill, in which a subsidy of Rs 3, announced by the previous Channi regime, was given. So, how come any consumer was getting the benefit of dual subsidy”, argued the majority of the power consumers in the State. Notably, the withdrawal of the Rs 3 subsidy on power is likely to affect the 11 lakh domestic power consumers, who were heavily dependent on the subsidy to manage their monthly expenses.
Meanwhile, with the AAP government failing to deliver on promises made before the elections, there is a general sentiment among the masses that instead of fulfilling the tall promises made by Kejriwal and Mann before the polls, the shameless AAP government is resorting to even hike in the existing taxes, which is nothing but betrayal with the people of Punjab.
Tax evasion happening right under the nose of AAP Govt: Lakhwinder Singh
Speaking to The Northern Gazette regarding the recent Cabinet decisions, eminent economist and visiting professor, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi, Lakhwinder Singh, said that the government has gone for low-hanging fruit. “They have yet not taken tough decisions. They should rationalize the subsidies. The tax evasion is happening right under their nose but they are not able to tackle the situation”, he said, while adding that there is no visible plan as to how the government will do the course correction. Singh also said that the kind of efforts that were required to increase the revenue generation from various sources has been missing on the part of the government.
Under AAP regime, Punjab economy is crumbling: Badish Jindal
National President of All India Trade Forum (AITF) Badish Jindal termed the government as “completely confused”. He said that the debt is increasing and government claims regarding ending corruption and thereby increasing the revenue collection from housing, mining and other departments etc have failed miserably. “By speaking sheer lies, the AAP came into power with a massive mandate of 92 MLAs. The present government has failed on all fronts especially the economy, which is crumbling. The government must apologise to the people of Punjab for making false claims and betraying the trust of the masses”, he told The Northern Gazette.
Enhancement in diesel price will add fuel to inflation: Bajwa
The decisions taken by the Punjab Cabinet have evoked sharp reactions from all the opposition parties as well. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, strongly condemned the state government’s decision to increase tax on petrol and diesel. “Enhancement in the price of diesel will not only cost the farmers dear but also add fuel to inflation”, he asserted. Bajwa further said that on the pretext of raising revenue, the AAP government has continued to burden the public, while adding, “Exactly two weeks back, the government hiked motor vehicle tax, which made cars and two-wheelers unaffordable for the middle class and the weaker sections of society.”
AAP Government pushing the middle class and the poor into deeper financial distress: Warring
Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also launched scathing attacks on the Mann government. “AAP government is playing a cruel joke on the people of Punjab by raising the prices of essential commodities like petrol, diesel, and electricity, deliberately pushing the middle class and the poor into deeper financial distress. This is the state government’s way to fund their self-advertisement budget from the pockets of the middle class and the common man of Punjab”, he rued. Warring also pointed out that the AAP government is avoiding transparency and accountability by introducing these hikes outside of the Vidhan Sabha sessions. “This is a blatant attempt to avoid opposition scrutiny and dodge questions that would expose their anti-people policies,’’ he said.
Hike in prices of petrol and diesel would further cripple the economy: Chugh
Speaking to The Northern Gazette, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh blasted the Mann government for bringing Punjab on the verge of financial bankruptcy. He said that an increase in VAT on petrol and diesel will put an extra burden of around Rs 3000 crores on the people. “Making amendments in the power subsidy to the urban consumers, the AAP government pranks on subsidies stand starkly exposed. Besides, a hike in prices of petrol and diesel would further cripple the economy, as it would have a cascading effect on other fields like transport”, he said.
SAD to stage district-level dharnas in the State to expose the anti-people policies of AAP govt: Bhunder
SAD Working President Balwinder Singh Bhunder said that Akali Dal will expose the government on how it has failed the common man by withdrawing power subsidies, increasing VAT on Petrol and Diesel, increasing bus fares by 23 paise per kilometre besides other anti-people decisions including increasing tax on vehicles and registration fees of land deeds. “District-level dharnas will be staged by SAD against the AAP government. The dharnas will begin from Ludhiana (September 10), followed by Ferozepur (September 11), Fazilka (September 12), Moga (September 13), Sri Mukatsar Sahib (September 16), Bathinda (September 17), Mansa (September 18), Sangrur (September 19), Barnala (September 20) and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on September 23.
(Umesh Dewan is a senior Punjab journalist based at Ludhiana)
